Separable button



sept. 9, 1924. 1,508,246

J. v. PlLcHER ET AL SEPARABLE BUTTON Filed Nov 2:5. 192s i 'Ixrrgabnoms Valmer, g, I Ji .5a/awa@ To all whom/t may concern:

Patented Sept. 9, 19.24,

teasers unirse stares sereni# orties.

JOHN v.'1=1LoHEn AND JOHN n. BABBITT, on LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY; sAI'D JOHN n.

' BABBITT essIGrNoR To sain' rrncrrna.

Application led November 23,1923. Serial No. 676,574.

Be it known that we, JOHN V. PILGHER and JOHN F. BABBITT, citizens of the United States, and residents of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certainr new and useful Improvements in SeparableButtons, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention relatesnto an improvement in separable buttons, and is an improvement on the invention of our copending application No. 657,092, filedAugust 13, 1923.

The invention resides in the provision of a button which can be economically manufactured, which will be strong and durable in use and one in which the parts will be easily manufactured and firmly and securely locked together, while capable of being easily separated or uncoupled.

The invention further consists in provid ing a casing or collet, and a cap within which is positioned a spring adapted to grip the flanged top of astud inserted between the ends of the spring.n The stud is on the base member of the button. We have found it expedient to provide washers on each side of the spring to -preventvbuckling of the spring when the stud member is inserted and withdrawn from between the spring ends.

An embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying` drawing, in which zl Figure 1 is a vertical section through the y button, with the parts separated.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation at 90 from the section of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a slightly modified form..

Referring now more particularly to the form illustrated, we have shown a stud member l carrying a recessed upper end, as at 2, the recess being shown at y3. A flange 4 'on this element is adapted to engage a.

similar flange on the other portion of the separable button, as will be fullyV described hereinafter, I 'The lowerslgifiltfllV 015th@ Stud element is broken away, as thel lower portion may be in any desired shape'and forms no part of this invention.v The head or socket member comprises a collet 5 vhaving `a lower flange 6, the collet being of a size sufficient to allow the stud to be inserted therein. The flange 6 is adapted to engage theflange 4 when the parts are placed adjacent each other. The upper part of the collet is provided with a flange 7 to which isk spun a cover 8, thus securing coverk and collet together.

Within the space between the collet and the cover, and resting upon the upper face of the collet, we provide a yfiat washer9 having an aperture centrally located therein of a diameter only large enough to provide working space for the pusher, and upon this washer is placed a substantially semi-circular spring 10, having its ends de,-

lformed into substantially S-shape and,` terminating in parallelportions '11 which pass across the aperture inthe washer 9. The tension of the springv exerts outward force so that the semi-circular portion of the i crimped or` spun oers greaterV resistance to bending strains l resulting from a force tending to pull the stud from between `the ends ofthe spring, "yet lessening thel compressive pressure necessary torelease the parts, as by means of the push member.

Above the spring 10 is placed a second washer 12 held in contact, with an axial aperture for a purpose more fully described hereafter. Where the pressed or punchedout washers 9 and k12 yare used, we prefer to placev them' with the face presented to the7 die away vfrom the spring. It is well known that washers so made usually have burrs or slightly turned-up edges, and by placing the opposite face adjacent the spring 1,0, an absolutely Smooth surface ,is Pfr/Seated.

thereto which results in minimum interference to movement between spring and washers.

rlhe ends 11 of the spring 10 are sufiiciently close together so that when the stud l is inserted through the collet 5, the ends 11 will be separated by the curved or wedgeshaped head 2, and snap into the recess 3 on each side of the stud, thereby holding the stud portion and the socket portion together. When the stud is forced upwardly to separate the spring, this member will be held against upward movement, or against buckling, by the washer 12.

Penetrating the top of the cover 8 and axially of the device, we provide a push member 13 having flanges 14 which prevent outward movement thereof and limiting downward movement Vof the same. This push member is provided with wedge portions 15 which are adapted to enter between the parallel ends 11 of the spring 10 for spreading the spring ends in assembling` the button parts. Above the wedge part 15 is a parallel sidedportion 15a which acts as a spacer to keep the ends of the spring 10 the proper distance apart. Between the portion 15a and the ilanges 14 there is a substantially parabolic portion 15b, and because of this formation, the force necessary to cause the last part of the downward movement of the push member 13 does not increase with the increase in compression of the spring 10. lt will be seen that downward movement of the push member 13 will cause the ends of the spring to be separated, thus releasing the stud member from engagement therewith. These wedge members 15a lie between the spring ends 11 and on opposite sides of the stud. It will now be seen that when the push member 13 is depressed, the ends of the spring 11 will be prevented from passing downwardly through the aperture in washer 9 by reason of the fact that the extreme ends of the parallel portions of the spring ends 11 rest upon the washer at the edge of the relatively small aperture. Thus there is a rm base for the spring ends and movement must be in a horizontal direction, compressing the spring between the washers 9 and 12.

Such a construction permits the aperture in the washer 9 to be comparatively small, thereby giving support to the ends 11 of the spring. rlh'e parts lend themselves more easily to manufacture and assembly without complications, and permit the operating mechanism to be consrtucted more compactly. Such instrumentalities, therefore, allow the button to be more shapely and compact, and due' to this compactness, we are able to make the stud element shorter, which is yboth a saving in material, and distinctly advantageous.

nsoaaae We have found it desirable, under some circumstances, to make the flange 6 with a portion 6a extending up into the tubular portion of the collet 5. Such a construction reinforces the tubular throat into which the stud 2 is to be inserted, and gives rigidity to the entire device.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. A butto-n of the separable type, comprising a stud member having an annular groove thereon, a socket member having a cylindrical passage to receive said stud, and an enlarged head, spring retaining means within the head adapted to enter the annular groove in the stud, and securing the head and stud together, said spring being held between parallel washers immovably held in the head member, whereby the spring is prevented from vertical movement.

2. The article of claim 1, with an aperture in the lower washer through which the stud is adapted to pass, said spring having parallel end portions, said end portions projecting over said aperture, the extremities of the parallel portions resting upon the washer.

3. The device of claim 1, said Spring being rectangular in cross section.

4. The device of claim 1, a cross section of said spring being of greater height than width.

5. A button of the separable type, comprising a stud member, a socket member having means therein to grip the stud member, and means to release the stud from the gripping means, including a push element having a curved surface intermediate its ends.

6. A button of the saparable type, comprising a stud member, a socket member having means therein to grip the stud member, and means to release the stud from the gripping means, including a push element having a surface intermediate its ends so formed that when it is forced between the gripping means at a uniform rate the gripping means move apart more rapidly at the first part of the stroke than at the last.

7. A button of the separable type, comprising a stud member, a socket member having means therein to grip the stud member, and means to release the stud from the gripping means, including a push element having a surface intermediate its ends so formed that the angle the surface makes with the axis of the button decreases as it approaches the upper end of push element.

8. rlhe device of claim 1, 'said socket member having a recess to hold the said spring.

9. The device of claim 1, said washers having their burrs turned away from said spring.

10. A. button of the s larable type, comprising a stud member,y aeseck'et member havelement having projections perpendicular to its axis which limit its motion in the direc tion of its axis.

In testimony whereof, we aHiX our signatures.

JOHN V. PILCI-IER. JOHN F. BABBITT. 

